Siren toy



April 18, 1939. .1. A. ROBLES SIREN TOY Filed May '7, 1936 llilllllu Patented Apr. 18, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 1 Claim.

My invention relates to toys and particularly to spinning tops, in which a siren effect is produced While the top is in motion, and it consists in the constructions, arrangements and combinations herein described and claimed.

It is an object of the invention to provide a top of hollow formation having an adjustable aperture in the wall Athereof whereby the sound produced by rotation of the top may be Varied.

It is also an object of the invention to provide a top in which a dual sound elfect may be produced.

It is a still further object of the invention to provide means for readily manipulating the top.

Additional objects, advantages and features of invention will be apparent from the following description considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, wherein Figure 1 is a perspective view of a. top constructed. in accordance with my invention;

Figure 2 is a top plan View thereof illustrating the approximate positions of the hands of thc user.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary sectional view of the top, illustrating the valve.

Figure 4 is a plan view of a modied form of manipulating handle.

Figure 5 is a modied form of top, constructed for dual production of sound.

Attention is rst invited to Figures 1 to 3 of the drawing, wherein there is shown a top, generally indicated at I0, of cylindrical form having end walls II. The end Walls II are centrally apertured and xecl rigidly therein is a spindle I2, one end I3 thereof extending only a short distance from the lower end wall II, being suitably shaped to form the supporting pivot of the top during rotation. The opposite end I4 eX- tends a greater distance from the upper end wall than the end I3 does from the lower end wall and forms in effect a drum portion upon which an actuating cord I5 is wound.

'Ihe cord I5 is provided with a handle member I6, adjacent one end of which there is formed an aperture I1 through which the cord is passed and knotted as at I8.

In the side wall of the tcp IIJ there is formed an opening I9 extending in a longitudinal plane, of the top around three edges of which there are formed guide flanges 20. The upper edge of the guide flange is open, permitting the insertion of a sliding valve 2I. The valve 2| is 1ongitudinally adjustable in the flange 28, thus varying the amount of air which may be admitted through the uncovered portion of the opening I9. Obviously, the variance in the port opening will produce a difference in the siren effect of the top during rotation.

In Figure 5 a modied form of top is shown in which a dual sound effect may be produced.

In this form, the top is constructed as before described, but the interior of the top is provided with a horizontally disposed dividing Wall 22, Ithus forming a pair of independent compartments 23 and 24. Each of the compartments 23 and 24 has an opening 25 and 26 respectively. The horizontal wall 22 is preferably disposed so that the chambers are of different sizes, and thus during rotation of the top two distinct sound effects will be produced, i. e., one might be quite shrill while the other will produce more or less `of a bass effect.

In Figure 4 I have illustrated a modied form of handle which as shown, comprises the handle portion 27, including the aperture 28, adjacent one end. An open-ended bracket 29 is fixed to the handle 27 upon one side, shaped to embrace the end I4 of the spindle I2'. In use, the open end of the bracket 29 will be presented around the spindle I2 and will amply support the top in an upright position when drawing upon the cord I5.

In use, the cord I5 is wound upon the portion I4 with the handle I 6 or 2 (as the case may be), resting agalnst the spindle. 'Ihe cord is then grasped by the knot I8 and drawn outwardly through the aperture I1 or 28. Such outward pull upon the cord will effect rapid rotation of the top, and by reason of the apertures I9 or 2li- 26, a siren elect will be produced.

'I'he cord I5 may be wound upon the portion I4 from the bottom upwardly as shown in full lines in Figure 1, or may be wound from the top downwardly, in which event the handle I B will be positioned closely above the top wall II as indicated by dotted lines.

The top and bottom walls have been illustrated as plane at members, but obviously it is within the scope of the invention to form these walls in concave or convex form, if desired.

While I have shown and described a preferred form of the invention, this is for the purpose of illustration only, and I therefore consider as my own, all such modications as fairly fall Within the scope of the appended claim.

I claim:

A top of the character described including a hollow body member comprising side and end walls, said side Wall having an elongated opening therein, one of said end wells having a top-supporting pivot member extending therefrom, a guide ange on said side wall bounding the sides of said opening and having an open end, an adjustable valve member slidably insertible in said guide iiange through the open end thereof for varying the size of said opening, and means to elTect spinning of said top for producing variable sound eiiects dependent upon the position of said valve relative to said opening.

JOSE A. ROBLES. 

